


Next To Me

by CloudAtlas



Series: Valentine's Prompts 2015 [6]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Asgard, Children, Community: be_compromised, Gen, Past Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-13
Updated: 2015-02-13
Packaged: 2018-03-12 05:57:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3346079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CloudAtlas/pseuds/CloudAtlas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For the prompt: <i>In the echoing halls of Asgard, an aging Thor remembers the humans who walked with him for a while -- the star-crossed lovers, who were first to leave.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Next To Me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AlphaFlyer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlphaFlyer/gifts).



“Who are they?” little Eowyn asked – Thor chuckled quietly to himself. Eowyn. Look how Jane influenced his life, even now. He was lucky to have earned the love of two such wonderful women; Sif was happy to name their daughter after his first love’s great hero. Others might not have been so lucky as he, but Sif had loved Jane too.

“They were some good friends of mine,” Thor replied. “Great warriors.”

Eowyn passed her little hand over the faces of the original Avengers, painted onto the wall of the Great Library.

“Can I meet them?” She gazed at the figures. “She looks like mama.”

Thor looked at the painted figure of Natasha on the wall. She doesn’t look like Sif in appearance, but even here, she had Sif’s warrior bearing.

“No, dear heart, you cannot.”

“Why?” Eowyn pushed her bottom lip out, a stubborn set to her jaw, and Thor smiled. She was sometime so like Sif.

“Because they were of Midgard, my dear.” Thor looked at the painting again. “They are gone.”

Eowyn gazed at the painting wide eyed. “Why?”

“Those of Midgard, they do not live as long as we of Asgard do,” Thor said sadly. “It has been many years since these people lived.”

Eowyn shifted in his arms, tucking her head under his chin.

“Like Jane?”

Thor kissed the top of his daughter’s head. “Yes,” he said. “Like Jane.”

“Did they leave like Jane?”

Being of Asgard, Eowyn did not know of death in the way Thor knew of death. Leaving was as much as she understood, and Thor could not resent her that, for all he wanted to explain that Jane did not _leave_.

“Not quite.”

Thor debated a moment – but for all Eowyn did not understand death, she understood pain and injury. It was different in Asgard than on Midgard.

“Tony,” Thor said, pointing at where Tony floated in his Iron Man suit, “he married his beloved, the Lady Pepper. They had two wonderful children. He died at home in his bed.” Thor sighed. “He was lucky.”

“What about her?” Eowyn said, pointing at Natasha again.

Thor frowned again, debating internally how to tell that story.

“That is the valiant Lady Natasha,” he said. “It was known that her beloved was the Archer Clint, though neither said.” He pointed at Clint and Eowyn traced the curve of his bow.

“Clint was killed in a fierce battle,” sadness coloured Thor’s tone, though it had been many years now. “Lady Natasha was less careful, after that.”

Eowyn gazed at the image of the Avengers for a moment longer, before clumsily pressing a kiss to Thor’s cheek.

“Papa, don’t be sad,” she said quietly.

“You are here, dear heart,” Thor said, hugging her gently, “I cannot be sad for long with you.”

Eowyn turned her dark eyes – Sif’s eyes – on him. “Tell me about Jane again, papa.”

Thor smiled down at his daughter. “Alright my dear, but then we must find your mother. You mustn’t miss your sword practice.”

“Will you tell me about the others afterwards?” Eowyn asked, pointing back at the painting as they moved through the Library to the painting of Thor with his first love; the Lady Jane.

“Yes, dear heart, for they were most valiant people and their stories are equal to the greatest of Asgardian tales.”

“Like Jane?” Eowyn asked.

“Yes,” said Thor, gazing fondly at his daughter before looking up at the painting. “Like Jane.”


End file.
